Losing Your Nut
by Dissidia180
Summary: The other riders are away on errands, and Hiccup is forced to take the twins on a spy mission to Outcast Island. But when Tuffnut is captured, things begin to spiral out of control for his sister. (Set before Cast Out Part 1, NO SHIPPING)
1. The Landing

_Well, I didn't take much a break, did I?Actually, I'd be lying if I said I'd written this before the end of the last one, The Sickness (Check it out if you haven't already!). This is something I was writing on my Kindle while I was out and about, and that's what it's going to be now, I think. Therefore, unless it gets a remarkable amount of interest (which half of me doubts because of the lack of shipping) it will update sporadically and the chapters shouldn't be that long. But, as with everything, we shall see how it goes. Thanks for your support and enjoy!_

He crouched low in his saddle, close to the dragon's neck, his hands rigidly tight around the neck-strap. Black wings extended to either side, holding them easily in the dark sky. Grey clouds surrounded them, muffling the sounds of the dragon's wing beats. He looked down. Below, the sea raged and toiled, thrusting up towards the pair and falling back when it realised it couldn't reach. Dim sunlight reflected on the water. He closed his eyes and remembered what his father had told him.

"Alvin is up to something, I'm sure if it. I want you to take a few of your riders and go check it out."  
"But dad, Astrid and Snotlout are flying an errand for trader Johann and Fishlegs won't do spying!" He argued.  
"Well, that's not your whole academy, is it?" Stoick the Vast stood over him, tall and imposing.  
"You really think the twins can be quiet and focused enough?"  
"It depends what you ask them to do. You are the leader of the academy, and you're my son. I have faith that you can make the right choice."  
"You're doing that thing again, dad, you're not listening to me!" Hiccup waved his arms frantically.  
"Son, I am listening. You know the twins better than I do. This can be a lesson for you."  
"But... what do I do with them" Hiccup was fast becoming exasperated.  
"Listen to me, son. There are many things you can do with Vikings with short attention spans. You can either leave them out of everything, or you can use what they do pay attention to to your advantage. I doubt they'll have much trouble watching something like Alvin's training arena, do you?"  
Hiccup thought about it, and realised that it defiantly made sense. The only times he'd ever seen the twins concentrating was when they were watching something exiting, like a storm, or Snotlout on fire.  
"You're right, dad."  
"Great! You can set off as soon as possible, then?"  
"Uh, sure..."

The chief's son checked behind him. The Zippleback was still following him, thankfully, although it's riders looked as thought they were about to fall asleep. The Dragon grumbled.  
"Ugh!" One twin twin spat. "We've been riding forever!"  
"Tuffnut, we've been riding for ten minutes! Anyway, we're nearly there."  
"Finally!" He complained. His dragon gave a frustrated groan.

"Now, remember! This is a spying exercise, which means you mustn't be caught. Who knows what Alvin will do to you if his gets his hands on you. Got it?"  
The twins sat and thought for a second, then nodded their accord. Hiccup was slightly surprised, seeing as they usually had to have things explained to them multiple times. Then again, they had done this a few times before. "Okay, then, just as we practised. Follow Toothless down to the breeding grounds." With soft encouragement, Hiccup's dragon dipped in the sky and glided silently downwards, followed by Barf and Belch. They descended in silence, wings barely beating until they alighted with perfect precision in the centre of the plateau. Sliding off their saddles, both twins gave their dragon's heads a quick pat and turned to Hiccup, who was dismounting himself. 

"Right. You guys need to go to the arena. Make sure there's nothing odd going on in there. If you need me, remember your dragon calls and call Barf and Belch."  
"Right," Tuffnut nodded. "Got it." He turned to his sister and gestured for her to follow as he walked away. Hiccup rolled his eyes and noisily cleared his throat.  
"Huh?" The twins turned again.  
"That's the wrong way, Tuff." Hiccup raised his eyebrow.  
"Oh... I knew that! I was just... testing you! Yeah, that's it..." He and his sister headed off in the opposite direction, chuckling. The chief's son sighed and rolled his eyes again, then turned to his dragon.  
"Toothless, take Barf and Belch to a safe place and stay with them." When his Night Fury thrust his nose into his palm, he soothed, "It's okay, bud. I'll be fine"

As he watched the two dragons disappear into the distance, Hiccup took a deep breath.  
"Okay, Alvin. What are you up to?"

_Short, I know, but this is only the first chapter. I wanted the intro not to take up a huge portion of the story, because I know you guys would get bored, and I don't want that. Next chapter, more exiting things happen, I assure you. Until next time, Dissidia180 out._


	2. Capture

_Well, hopefully, I have a few people who are interested in this story already! Alright, this is where everything kicks off (hopefully). I hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to R+R._

"Ugh! This is _the last_ time you lead the way!" Ruffnut snarled viciously, feeling for a hand hold above her. The slippery, black rocks of Outcast Island gave them next to no grip as they tried to climb the steep embankment. She spat her greasy, dirty-blonde hair out of her mouth and glared above her, where she could see her brother struggling to find somewhere to put his foot. Tuffnut had made the mistake of trying to lead them 'the short way', which meant instead of following the tight, winding gully below them, they were instead trying to climb right over the cliffs. The twin sister grumbled again.

They were nearing the top of the embankment, finally. Ruffnut climbed past her brother, who appeared to be stuck, and pretended not to notice. However, she was given away by her smirk.  
"Oh dear, Tuff, what's wrong?" She cooed spitefully. "Are you stuck? Never mind, I'm sure you're fine." She went to carry on climbing.

"Sis, please... I'm stuck... can you help me?" Tuffnut whimpered. When his sister didn't turn back, he began to make plaintive sounds until she finally cracked.

"Okay, fine! Just quit your whining!" She scowled, snatching the back of his jerkin and hauling him over the jagged top of the bank. Once there, he didn't have time to grip on before he went tumbling down the other side like a sack of potatoes. His sister, dragging herself to the top, stopped to watch and laugh.

Tuffnut landed in a heap at the bottom of the embankment and lay still while his head continued to spin.

"Way more dizzy than usual" He groaned, sitting up and holding his head. "I like it! Go again?" He grinned to his sister, who was half way through sliding back down the slope to meet him.

"I'm not dragging you back up there!" She called down, then landed on her back next to him. "You're right, that is kinda fun"

"You didn't even roll down, sis. It's way better that way." He suddenly looked thoughtful. "Wait, what are we doing here again?"

His sister gave him a sharp smack on the arm. "We're here to spy on Alvin, remember?"

"Gee, no need to get so testy" He retorted, rubbing the sore spot.

"Are you gonna lead us to the Arena or not?"

"Right! The Arena. Uh, it's that way. Or is it? Wait... I'm still dizzy..."

Hiccup crawled on his stomach towards the edge of the cliff. The blackened mud was leaving marks on his green shirt, he realised with a sigh. He just hoped that this would be worth it. Pulling a spy-glass from his jerkin, he reached the edge of the cliff and looked over. At least, he thought it was the edge. There were another few layers of rock and dirt below him, and although he could see the fleet from here, the boy knew he could get a better view from the next layer down. There was a crater there, fairly large, the inside completely hidden from the view of the ships below. It made Hiccup feel rather exposed. If he could get down there, there was no chance the Outcast fleet would be able to spot him. Carefully, he slipped down the treacherous scree-slope and dashed towards the crater. Looking around, he dived inside and crawled towards the other side. He hadn't been spotted.

The Monstrous Nightmare flailed around, its whole body ablaze. It knocked its captors away with a flick of its mighty tail and torched others incessantly with its jaws wide open. Two Outcast soldiers leaps forward, only to be flattened by its wings.

"Awesome..." High above everyone, Tuffnut breathed his elation at the sights before him. His sister echoed his thoughts with a chuckle.  
"This is way better than I thought it would be" She growled, a smile playing upon her features. The twins ducked as a rogue flame shot over them, missing them by inches. Ruffnut reached over and patted out the flames on her brothers back, sniggering.

Spy-glass to his eye, Hiccup surveyed the fleet. The hollow eyes of the skulls mounted on the bows made him shiver. They stared out across the flat-calm ocean, dark, foreboding and unforgiving. The ship's crown of bones clattered as it drifted lazily into another boat. Hiccup noted the scorch-marks across the decks, the new sails on the mast, the scarring across it's water-line. This ship had battled many a dragon, and he supposed it must be Alvin's flag ship, seeing as it was not just any skull on the bow, but that of a Monstrous Nightmare, notoriously hard to kill. He found himself shivering again. How could someone destroy such a magnificent creature?

Suddenly, his gaze was attracted by the sight of soldiers at the docks, rowing out to the boats in small rafts.

"What are you up to, Alvin...?"

"Hey, Ruff, I think that guy looks like you," Tuffnut jeered. His sister shoved him hard in the arm.

"Are you calling me ugly?"

"Well, I'm not calling you pretty!" It took only a second for Ruffnut to set upon her brother, although fighting was rather difficult when you were lying on your stomach. The raucous became louder and louder, both twins shouting insults at one another, until Tuffnut suddenly stopped, staring in fear behind his sister. She glared at him questioningly.

"What are you looking at?" She snapped. Her brother lifted a shaky finger. Ruffnut turned and found herself staring into the merciless eyes of Alvin the Treacherous. Her heart actually stopped beating.

"'Ello, you two. 'Aving a little _domestic _are we?"

With a whimper, the sister leapt to her feet and, grabbing her brother's arm, she bolted. The twins ran for their lives, both screaming at the top of their lungs. They attracted the attention of a few guards as they passed, who joined the chase. They dived down a narrow ravine. Tuff looked over his shoulder, saw Alvin, and cried "Faster!"

"I'm running as fast as I can!" His sister replied, heaving for breath. They twisted and turned, trying desperately to escape. Tuffnut's arms slapped the walls. Ruffnut felt her hair catching in the cracks.

All of a sudden, Tuffnut tripped over his own feet and went crashing to the ground. His sister released her grip and stopped dead, staring at the scene behind her. The outcasts had caught up to her brother and were pinning him down, spears at his throat. He gazed pleadingly at her. Her eyes were wide with horror, mouth agape. Blinking, she backed away. Her heart was in her mouth.

"Sis..." Tuffnut croaked. He watched, speechless, as his sister turned and bolted, leaving him behind.

_Dun dun dun! Ruffnut has abandoned her brother! What will happen next? Only I know. Heh heh. Anyway, I'm glad I got this chapter finished because, with only the intro, I doubt the story looks that interesting or gripping, so I left you a nice cliff-hanger. You're welcome!_


	3. The Crater

_Might as well write another chapter, seeing as I'm not really doing anything right now. I did finally find a use for the word phlegm though (that's pronounced flem, for anyone who might not know. Not saying you're stupid, just saying you never write that word down. Seriously). Awesome. _

Ruffnut ran as fast as she could, as far as she could from the Outcasts. Her mindless escape took her across the island, and when she finally stopped and looked back, she could see the sea, icily calm, before her and the Arena, a small landmark, in the distance. Alvin's fleet was laid out before her. The twin bent over double, wheezing for breath. Her throat and chest were wrapped in pain, making it hard to breathe, and her limbs ached and shook from the exertion. She tried to cough her throat clear, spitting phlegm out onto the ground, but nothing seemed to make a difference. Desperately, she looked around, trying to find somewhere to hide. Across the cliffs a little way lay a crater that afforded her protection from all sides. She headed for it, hoping she would be able to rest there a while.

Hiccup's spy-glass glinted in the weak sunlight. The outcasts were still milling around of shore. _It could just be an exercise, _he thought to himself. _We do practice drills on Berk all the time. _As he continued to watch, he picked out the form of Savage, commanding the fleet from the front. There was no sign of Alvin anywhere.  
"Where are you...?" Hiccup whispered to himself. What could Alvin be doing if he wasn't out here with his fleet. All of a sudden, there was a scratching noise from behind him as _something _slid into the crater behind him. He whipped around.

"Toothless!" He cried. "What are you doing here, bud? I thought I told you to stay with Barf and Belch!" Toothless hung his head, looking up at Hiccup with enormous, saucer-like eyes, and made an apologetic crooning noise in his throat.  
"Oh no, you don't. Don't make that face at me, mister. I'm not buying it."

"_hrrmhh..._"

"I'm still angry at you." Hiccup turned away to resume his vigil, hoping his dragon would go back to the nesting grounds.

"_grrhmmmh..._"

"No, Toothless. I'm not..." He turned around and met those eyes once again. They were full of love for him, full of sweet intentions, and most of all, full of hope. Hope that Hiccup would let him stay.

"Oh, Toothless..." His rider sighed resignedly. "Fine! Stay if you want! Just don't get us in trouble, okay?" The chief's son couldn't help but smile as his dragon leapt to his feet and span around in joy, tail flailing violently. He turned back to the ocean, only to find something being dropped on his head.

"Ouch!" Looking down, he picked up the burnished, coppery piece. "A present? Really bud? As much as I love it, I don't think I could use that..." His dragon stood above him, a proud look adorning his features.

She had almost reached the crater when, with horror, she saw the form of a great, black dragon looming out of it. Instinctively, she hit the floor, peering up again.

"Wait a second..." She muttered. This wasn't just any dragon. She recognised the ear-like structures on the back of his head, the wide, glassy, emerald eyes, the bright red prosthetic tail fin. "Toothless?" Crawling closer, Ruffnut poked her head over the edge of the pit. The dragon was just about lying over his rider, who was trying to ignore him and continues watching the fleet.

"Hiccup!" She cried, and went to get up, but managed to snag her foot on one of the rocks at the crater's edge and therefore tumbled to the pit's bottom on her face. Toothless gave a cry and jumped up in shock and Hiccup whirled around, reaching for his nearby shield, until he realised who it was in the pit.

"Ruffnut? What are you doing here?" He yelped. The twin sat up, adjusting her helmet.

"Hmm, good question. What am I doing here?" She thought for a moment, then scowled. "Hey... what are _you _doing here? And why's Toothless with you?"

"I'm here because I'm meant to be, and Toothless followed me. Aren't you meant to be at the arena with Tuff?"

"Oh yeah, that's it!" Her face fell suddenly, as though she had just remembered something.

"Ruffnut... where is Tuffnut?" Hiccup asked her.

"Hiccup... we were found and... and Tuff got captured..."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Very funny, Ruffnut, you can drag him out of the tree now, or wherever you're hiding him."

"It's not funny, Hiccup, this is serious! Alvin captured Tuffnut!"

Toothless tilted his head to one side. The girl had a very strange look on her face. She smelt of fear and sweat, and he could hear the slight labour of her breathing. She'd been running, fast, and for a long time. He approached her tentatively, crooning slightly. She was missing something, something that was always there with her. He knew what it was instinctively. She was always with the one who looked the same, but smelt different. The boy, her brother.  
Apparently, he got too close, as she put a hand against his nose and pushed him roughly away. With an indignant snort, he sat back on his haunches.

"It's my fault, Hiccup. I was the one being loud. I started it, and now look what happened." she was shouting at his boy.

His Hiccup looked upset. "Be that as it may, it's happened now. We just need to figure out a way to get him back." He gave the girl a reassuring look, which she completely blanked out.

"It's gonna happen again, I bet. I'm just gonna get you a Toothless in trouble."

"Ruffnut..."

The girl stood up suddenly. Toothless was startled by her ferocity as she snarled, "No. That's it, I'm outta here. I'm not gonna get you two in trouble as well."

Toothless watched as the girl climbed out of the crater and marched away. He went to follow her, but his boy held him back.

"She'll come back, Toothless. She just needs to calm down."

Ruffnut stormed away. She couldn't explain what she was feeling, but one thing was for certain: she felt a mess. Everything was a jumble of rugged emotions. So she just walked, for how long, she couldn't tell. Her emotions were calming down as she released her fury, kicking at rocks and stamping her feet like a child in a tantrum. Her cheeks felt hot from scowling.  
When she finally stopped, she looked out towards the sea. It looked icy cold and unforgiving, the ships perched upon it meanly. 

"Well, well, well. What have we here then, eh?" Ruffnut span around and was faced with Alvin's right hand man, Savage. "Word of mouth is, you're missing a brother. Is that right?"

"What do you care?" She spat, baring her teeth. She was cornered against the scree-slope that lead down into the ocean, Outcast soldiers surrounding her, pushing her back. Savage gave her a nasty grin, stepping towards her. Nowhere to run. She stepped back, heart in her mouth.

"I asked you a question, girl. Am I right?"

"And I answered it. None of your business!" Ruffnut retorted. She took another step back, and too late remembered the sheer scree-slope behind her. The loose ground gave way under her feet and the world flipped up on its head. Ruffnut plummeted down the scree-slope, sharp rocks digging into her body, the wind knocked out of her with every smack. She could hear the rushing of stones around her, knocked free by her fall. Then, with a splash, the twin found herself in the cold ocean.

Sitting up suddenly, heaving for breath, Ruffnut scrambled to her feet and ran to the left. However, she was soon stopped in her tracks by a line of soldiers. She skidded to a halt, span around and ran in the opposite direction, only to be stopped again, flanked on the other side. She was surrounded. Looking up, she caught sight of Savage above her, aiming a cross-bow straight at her.

"Get on your knees. You're coming with us."

_And there we go! Yet another cliff-hanger! I'm not very nice to you guys, am I? Well, it's actually a cliff-hanger because all of my stories are based on an album, and that there was where the song ends. I think you'll find most chapters ending on cliff-hangers, so I apologise in advance. Anyways, see y'all soon!_


	4. The Thrill of The Chase

_Well, I was quite mean last chapter, so I thought I'd be as quick as I could with the next one, so as not to keep you waiting. Not that this one will be any better. But still, enjoy!_

Ruffnut dropped to her knees, the soldiers closing in around her. _This is it, _she thought. _Either I'll be thrown in with Tuff, or I'll be executed. I don't know which is better...  
_"Sorry, young lady. There's nothing you can do now. You and your brother have an appointment with Alvin..."

Her head fell, staring into the water that swirled around her thighs. She closed her eyes, brow furrowed, awaiting the inevitable.

There was a sudden, screaming roar, followed by three powerful explosions. Ruffnut jumped to her feet again, peering through the smoke rising from the scorch marks on the ground. A large, black shape flew over the scattered Outcasts, stopping in front of her and shielding her from the crossbow. Leathery wings stretched up above her. A low growl rumbled through the air. She reached out, touched the warm hide. There was no doubt. It was Toothless.  
The dragon looked back at her, urging her onto his back. His head bobbed up and down, up and down, then he turned back, with a snarl, and threw another plasma blast at their attackers. His ears were pinned to the back of his head. Ruffnut reached up, grabbed his saddle, and hauled herself up. Toothless's strong, leathery wing protected her as he turned and, with a final blast to breach the ranks, he leapt forward into a gallop.

Ruffnut clung onto the neck strap with grim determination. She wasn't even going to try to get her foot into the stirrup; she knew, even if she could get it in there, she wouldn't be able to work out how the fly in time. Crossbow bolts whistled past their ears, frighteningly close. Toothless turned up the scree slope, struggling to the top, and then bounded towards the crater, a lump on the far cliff.

It really was a strange gait, that of a Night Fury. The one of the most graceful dragons in the air, their lilting run was hard to sit and made one slightly uncomfortable after a while. Maybe Hiccup was used to it, but Ruffnut would take a plush saddle atop a Zippleback over this any day. But however bumpy the ride, it was much faster than the group of soldiers, who were lagging far behind them. Their armour was heavy. To heavy to run in, anyway.

Toothless took a great flying leap over the wall of the crater. Ruffnut felt herself leave the saddle, only to come crashing down again as Toothless landed neatly on the other side. The twin, however, continued her flight over the dragon's shoulder and into the muddy crater bottom. Sitting up dazedly, she looked up at Hiccup, who was standing a few feet away.

"Well done, Ruffnut, you walked right into their camp," He scolded. "Do you ever think? No, don't answer that." He stamped over to his dragon and slid into the saddle. "Come on, get on"

However, as he looked up, he found himself staring into the eyes of someone who certainly didn't seem like Ruffnut. She looked hurt beyond measure, lips slightly open, still cowering in the dirt.

"Look, I didn't mean that..." He sighed. "Come on. Whatever trouble you've gotten us into, I'll get us out, okay? Wait, that didn't come out right either..." Checking himself, Hiccup simply held out a hand.

"...I'm sorry, Hiccup" She whispered.

"It's okay. Whatever happens, we're in it together. Now, get on. I'm not leaving you behind."

Ruffnut took Hiccup's hand and allowed him to lift her up onto Toothless's back. The dragon spread his wide wings, crouched down, and shot into the air, wings ferociously beating.

Ruffnut glanced over her shoulder. Below, she could see a sea of Outcasts milling about, unsure as to what to do about the escaping dragon. She heard a yell, followed by the cocking of a dozen crossbows. She could make out Savage, not far from the front, pointing at them.  
"Fire!" His command rang out. A volley of bolts knifed through the sky, missing them by inches. Ruffnut turned back to Hiccup.  
"What are we supposed to do now?"

"We hide." He shouted back over the wind, as another flight missed them by the skin of their teeth. "I know a place where they'll never find us. It's only accessible by dragon."

"Great! Uh... where is it?"

Hiccup simply pointed. She followed his finger. The largest mountain on the island, with sheer, rocky sides.  
"It's a dormant volcano. That means there's a plateau on top where we can land." Hiccup explained.

"Have you ever done this before?" She cried, looking back again. The Outcasts were ready to fire again.

"Nope."

"Awesome!" The twin cried.

All of a sudden, they banked sharply right, heading back over their foes. They were too quick, to shoot them down would be futile. So Savage waited. He waited until they turned back towards the mountain, then snarled:

"Shoot them down!"

The arrows whizzed through the air. Toothless staggered in the air as one ripped a hole in his prosthetic tail fin. Maybe the damage wasn't bad enough to knock him down, but if too much pressure was put on it, the material would tear.  
A stray bolt came flying between Toothless's wings. It tore through the material in Ruffnut's jerkin, ripping a gash in her shoulder. She cried out, losing her grip on Hiccup's waist. The dragon's scales were to slippery, his hide too glossy. She felt herself sliding, and grabbed blindly onto whatever she could, but it was too late. She came away from the dragon, taking one of Hiccup's harness straps with her, and, hitting the dragon's wing as she fell, she tumbled down, and down, and away from view.

"_Ruffnut!_"

_Short chapter, I know, but it had to be. I had to leave you on a nasty cliffhanger because that's what this story is. Sorry, forgive me! _

_Stay tuned for the next instalment!_


	5. Dragon's Den

_So, here we are, and this is where it gets really evil. Because I'm not going to let you know what happens to Ruffnut, Hiccup and Toothless. Oh no, that's not how I roll. Instead, we're going to pay a little visit to Tuffnut. It'll be nice to know how he's getting on! Or will it?_

A rock thrust it's way into his ribs as he was tossed roughly on the ground, causing him to give a deep grunt. Tuffnut looked up into the unforgiving face of the Outcast who loomed above him. The man's beard was as knotted and twisted as the scars across his face. His hideous grin sent chills down the boy's spine. Tuff realised with a jolt that the lantern in the man's hand was the only source of light in the chamber. There were no windows. He gulped.

"I hope your accommodation is adequate, dragon rider," The outcast sneered. Tuffnut looked around.

"Actually, I've slept in worse. Like, this one time, we were in this cave..." He tailed off as the man turned to leave. "Hey, where are you going? Is there a lantern or something in here?"

"Alvin has ordered that there be no lanterns in here," He looked over his shoulder. "You've got to be left in the dark." Tuffnut's jaw clenched. He ran up to the gate, grabbing it as it was closed on him. The rusty metal was flaky and scorched.

"You can't leave me here!" He cried. "I'll pay for that lantern, look!" As he began to list off the things he was pulling out of his pocket, the man began to guffaw. "How about a chicken bone? No? Okay, um... fish bone? No? Okay, how about whatever this thingy is? No,wait, you can't have that. Lint! I've got lots of lint! Good for starting fires, trust me, I've done it... No, wait! Where are you going? I'll give you all of it! All of it!"

It was no use. The darkness was closing in around him. He watched helplessly as the lantern light disappeared into the distance. Alone. He was alone in the dark. He groaned.

"I hate Outcasts. They're so hard to bargain with..." Looking around, He felt as though he was shrinking as the vast, dark cavities loomed above him. Sharp, jagged rocks protruded from hidden corners. The dungeon seemed impossibly large. Swallowing the lump of panic forming in his throat, he tiptoed into the darkness, towards the rear wall.

"Hello? Anyone there?" He called out. "Gee, this place is huge. I don't need a cell this big..." He could hear the echoes reverberate around him as he called out again; "Hello?" This time, he was answered with a rustling from a far corner. He froze, panic-stricken. As he listened closer, he could recognise the even footfalls and long, tapping claws of a Deadly Nadder.  
Dragons. He was locked in with dragons.

He could now see the monster looming out of the darkness, beak-like mouth opening and closing as it tested his scent. The twin knew it could smell his fear. It chirruped, the sound gurgling noisily in it's throat. Tuffnut backed away. All of a sudden, it hopped forward, wings fluttering by it's sides in a display of dominance. It was no good to even try to stay in it's blind spot. The dragon could see little more than him in the darkness, relying heavily on it's sense of smell.

Tuffnut turned to run, but found his way blocked by the hissing heads of a Hideous Zippleback. He watched with horror as one began to spew noxious green gas. His head flashed side to side, looking for an escape. Dashing sideways, he was almost knocked off his feet by the Zippleback's explosion. Tuffnut ran until he collided with the rear wall. The force of the impact knocked him off his feet and onto the ground. Sprawled and scrabbling for purchase, he turned over, only to see the dragons heading straight for him. There was only one thing for it. He staggered to his feet.

Zippleback to his left. Nadder to the right. He was blocked in, and yet he didn't feel trapped.  
"Okay, here goes... let's hope this works as well as it did on Barf and Belch..."

The twin sprinted full tilt towards the Zippleback, watching it's heads following his progress. The Nadder snapped at him as he passed, but he was too quick. Dodging the blow, he had almost reached the two-headed dragon. The hiss of gas filled his ears. He leapt up, placing a foot on the dragon's shoulder, running between the heads and down it's spine. There was a sickening crunch as the heads came together with force, each one knocking the other unconscious. Tuffnut laughed heartily, triumphant.

"Hah! I win this time, dragon!" He shouted over his shoulder.

As he turned back, he found himself skidding to a halt. There, sitting in wait, it's whole body aflame, lay a Monstrous Nightmare. It snarled at him, baring its teeth. He gulped. Looked around. The Nadder was closing in. Looked back. The Nightmare loomed above him. All he could think to do was to scream for help and run.

_I think that's a good place to leave it now. I hope you're all enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it! I'll try to update again as soon as I can. Stay tuned!_


	6. The Volcano

_Okay, I've left you in suspense long enough. Whatever happened to Ruffnut, Hiccup and Toothless?Found out now!_

_Review Answers: Risuchan0223: Thanks for your support, I hope I am delivering!_

_Ctza7: She did! Hopefully, the updates are swift enough for you_

_non-heinous: Thanks! But please don't explode!_

_Dragonslove: Thank you, I love the twins as well! Glad you're enjoying it_

_hiccstrid4ever: Thanks, I'm glad it's adequate! I have spotted some flaws on the read-through._

_Falling. Falling. Faster and faster. Spinning, rushing, twisting, twirling. This is Hel. My stomach has left me. I can't breathe. There is no air for me to breathe. I can't open my eyes. The fall is too much. A cry escapes my lips. I don't want to die, not yet. _

_I want my brother._

_Claws on my shoulders, clutching, gripping. I struggle against it. Leave me be, dragon! No longer falling. My stomach returns. I can breathe again, open my eyes again. I look up. Sleek, black scales. A face looks down, green-eyed and smiling. _

"Toothless...?" Ruffnut looked up at the dragon, who bayed softly, raising his head again. He swooped around the dormant volcano, his flight pattern shaky.  
"Easy now, bud. Be careful" Hiccup cooed from the saddle. "Don't want to make that tail any worse, do we?" He patted the dragon's neck, then leant down to speak with his passenger.  
"Ruffnut, are you okay?"

"Uhh..." She took a moment to find her voice. "I... I think so"

"Don't worry, we're almost there." He assured her, sitting back up. The dragon arched in the sky, gaining altitude. Ruffnut looked down. They were high, higher than she thought she'd ever flown before. Her feet dangled dangerously over the dark rocks, but she didn't feel scared. Toothless's claws were wrapped protectively around her arms.

As she watched, they passed the lip of the volcano, and she looked down inside. There was a perfect plateau, wide and flat. The dragon turned, wobbling, and struggled to land in the crater. He lay Ruffnut down gently before coming down heavily next to her. Hiccup gave him a great hug.

"Well done, Toothless! You did it, bud! I'm so proud of you."

Ruffnut looked up. "What did he do?" She was clueless.

"His tail-fin is torn. He was very close to not being able to fly at all, and yet he got us up here!"

The dragon looked at his prosthetic. The tear wasn't very big, and would be easily patched. He gave it a sniff, his real fin twitching with interest. Ruffnut walked over, looking at the fin. She stretched it out and traced the hole with her finger. Hiccup, who was retrieving his sewing kit, caught her and called over.

"Try not to make the tear any bigger, Ruff!"

Ruffnut was transfixed, biting her lip.

"This is my fault..." She looked gloomily at the dragon, who was carefully watching her. "I ruined your tail, Toothless. I lead them to us, I broke your tail, and then I nearly got myself killed. I'm so stupid! Urgh!" She slammed a fist into her forehead. The dragon beside her turned and nuzzled her softly, but it couldn't stop the shameful rage from boiling up within her. She pouted, holding Toothless's head.

Hiccup approached slowly.  
"Ruffnut... what's wrong?" He asked tentatively. His dragon lifted his head, and Ruffnut rotated to face him. The look on her face was enough to tell him what was bothering her.

"This is all my fault, Hiccup." She said simply. "I left my brother behind when he needed me most, and now the Outcasts know we're on their island. Then, when I stormed off, I walked right into them!" He hand gestures were becoming increasingly frantic with the tone of her voice. "Then, instead of trying to lose them or something, I just lead them right back to us! And then Toothless got his tail ruined, and that's my fault! And I nearly got myself killed!"

"Ruffnut, come on..."

"No, Hiccup, this is serious! I'm way more trouble than I'm worth!"

"Be that as it may, I'd still rather have you on my team than come here alone."

"If you'd come here alone, then you wouldn't have got into all this trouble..."

"Ruffnut, a tail can be fixed. A twin can be rescued. But I can't replace you on my team, nor can I replace your brother. Believe it or not, there are times when you guys really have your uses. There are loads of things I wouldn't have gotten out of if it weren't for you guys. We're a team, and teams stick together." He looked her in the eyes, hoping she'd got some of that. "Come on, let me have a look at that shoulder..."

She looked more hurt than ever, and with a groan, she turned and ran across the plateau. Toothless leapt to his feet, ready to follow, only to be stopped by Hiccup.

"Easy, bud. She's not going anywhere. She just needs a 'soggy alone place', or something. Let her calm down and then she'll be more reasonable."

The dragon gave an uneasy groan.

Ruffnut bolted across the uneven rock surface, furious with herself. Her shoulder burned. Hiccup just didn't seem to understand. Everything was _her_ fault. Why wasn't he angry? Finally, she found that she couldn't run any more. She had reached the edge of the plateau, her toes hanging precariously over the edge. The drop beyond was enough to turn her stomach. There was a soft, soothing wind blowing from behind her, pushing her towards the void. The twin leant back against it, holding out her arms and letting the air rush through her outstretched fingers. Her shoulder stabbed with pain and she winced, but she tried to ignore it. Ruffnut's eyes closed. She pretended that she was flying on Barf, shooting through the air at lightning speed, firing shots left and right and destroying other people's stuff needlessly. Taking deep breaths, she began to calm down. The twin looked to her left, where Belch and Tuffnut were grinning at her.

_Tuffnut. _Her chest clenched painfully. "_It's my fault you're missing. It's my fault you're gone."_

"_Yeah, it is. You suck, sis. Why'd you just leave me there?"_

"_I don't know! I panicked!"_

"_Well, maybe you shouldn't have. You coulda taken them on easily, you and me, together. We're unstoppable. So why didn't you?" Her brother's eyes were full of blame. _

"_I don't know! Maybe you shouldn't have tripped over your own stupid feet, idiot!" The stream of insults hid her shame and pain. With a jolt, she realised her brother was fading away._

"_Tuffnut, wait! Don't go! Where are they keeping you?" He didn't reply. "Tuffnut! _Tuffnut!_"_

_Too late. Her brother was gone. _

It was a shock to be back on the cliff-top. Barf, Belch, and Tuffnut were nowhere to be seen. They hadn't even been there in the first place. She coughed, and realised she must have been shouting; her throat was raw and hoarse. Her hand rose and the twin touched the dragon-tooth pendant around her neck.

"Tuffnut..."

To her right, she saw a cave opening. It looked dark, soggy and lonely. Perfect. With a resigned sigh, she stumbled through the entrance, wondering if either Hiccup or Toothless had heard her screams.

Toothless's head jolted up. He could hear someone crying out, far away across the big-flat-top. His ears lifted and his nose quivered. Someone was upset. He could hear that the voice was being whipped away by the wind, and that so too was the person's smell. However, Toothless didn't need to smell her to know it was the sister. She was the only one who could possibly have made the sound, and she was close by. He looked over at Hiccup, who was busy sewing up his tail-fin, and then stood up, determined to find her.

_Finally got this one done! I'm quite happy with this now, I spent a while going over it. If you find any mistakes at all throughout the story, please let me know, it's much appreciated. Until next time!_


	7. A Dragon's Touch

_Okay, so I'm going to France this week for an exchange, and I don't know how much time I'll get to write while I'm over there, so you're just going to have to bear with me and I'll update when I can. Apart from that, I hope you enjoy this story!_

The cave was dark and musty. The only light came from the wide entrance. Jagged walls rose around her, a low ceiling bringing them to an abrupt end. Finger-like structures crept up from the floor and hung from the ceiling, dripping crystal-clear water into pools on the floor. Near the back of the deep cavern was a small, raised shelf. Clear of the streams of water and dry, it provided a perfect place for Ruffnut to hide. She stepped up onto it and looked it over thoughtfully, then sat cross-legged right in the middle. _Tuffnut... _She thought.

_It's my fault he's gone. If I wasn't so stupid, maybe I could've done something to stop it. Who knows what Alvin will be doing to him? Where could he be right now? _She gulped noisily and gave a short cough, clearing her throat. With a slight hiss of pain, she reached back and clasped her cut shoulder. The wound wasn't deep, but it certainly stung. So, too, did the shame she felt. She dragged her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them, scowling viciously at the soft light permeating from the cave entrance. To her horror, the light was suddenly and inexplicably blocked out.

Toothless nosed around the edge of the plateau, his tail sweeping the ground behind him. He could smell her tracks in the dirt, see the imprint of her boots. Her trail led to a small cave entrance on the edge of the volcano. He snuffled around it, smelling where she'd reached out for balance, sensing her heavy footsteps. He could hear her breathing in there somewhere. Slowly, bending down low, he crawled into the cave, avoiding the pillars around him and traversing the puddles until he reached the centre of the cavern. Their eyes made contact. Girl and dragon, looking at one another.

Toothless tilted his head. Ruffnut looked at him, her eyes lighting up. Even through everything, someone still thought about her and came to look for her. She smiled softly.  
"Hey, Toothless." She croaked, holding out a hand. The dragon looked her over before treading carefully towards her. He sloped behind her and lay down, his long, sleek body wrapping itself around hers. She touched his skin. It was warm and comforting.  
"Sorry for everything, Toothless. I really am sorry." She sighed, taking off her helmet and tossing it into the darkness. The twin rested her head against Toothless's heated flank.

His wing stretched over her as she lay down, using his fore-paw as a pillow, and she curled up within herself. In the cocoon of leathery wing membrane, she found that she could shut out all her bad thoughts and forget everything. Very soon, she found herself drifting off to sleep, the rhythmic rise and fall of the Night Fury's chest soft and relaxing against her back. She felt his head beside hers, his hot breath on the back of her neck, and reaching out a hand, she stroked his nose, before the blackness descended.

Hiccup looked up and realised with a jolt that Toothless was gone. He looked down at the fixed tail in his fingers, then out across the plateau.

"He's gone after Ruffnut. Great, just great." With a resigned sigh, he lay the tail-fin out on the ground and followed the Night Fury's tracks. Reaching the edge, he bent down to examine a paw print.  
"Where are you two...?" He muttered, turning around. "I've got to find them. We've got to find Tuffnut before he tells the Outcasts anything..."

Running as fast as he could, the boy looked behind him and gave a scream. The Monstrous Nightmare was closing in. There seemed to be no escape. He smashed into the wall and scrabbled at it, knowing there was no hope of him training the dragon. He couldn't think of a name in his panic, nor could he tame it before the other dragons got to him. His only hope was to leave this place and escape from the dragons. His fingernails bled.  
"Let me out!"

The only place they could possibly have gone was into that cave. It looked dark and soggy enough for Ruffnut. He stepped inside, stooping low. The cave had no light at all. As he stumbled through, he brushed against the stalagmites and stalactites, heading for the back of the cave, hoping to find something...

His foot hit something hard that skittered away with a metallic noise. He chased it, lifting it up to his eyes. Long, curving horns protruding from either side, the metal was bashed and dented. It looked as though it was made of Gronkle Iron. Unmistakably, it was Ruffnut's helmet. Hiccup felt sick to his stomach. Where had the twin got to _now_?  
"Ruffnut!" He called, and was answered with a deep growl. "Toothless?" He approached the black form, tripping over the step as he did so. He crashed to the floor beside his best friend, looking up with a laugh. "Toothless! There you are bud!"

Scrabbling to his feet, he held out Ruffnut's helmet to his dragon.  
"Can you smell her? Do you know where she is?"  
The dragon lifted a wing to reveal the sleeping form of a young Viking girl, missing her helmet. Her thumb was clasped in her lips, her head resting on Toothless's fore-paw.

"You big softy, Toothless," Hiccup chastised as he placed Ruffnut's helmet aside and knelt down beside her. "Give us some light, bud?"

The plasma blast lit the cave in soft, purple light. Hiccup gave the twin's shoulder a gentle nudge. No response. He did it again, harder this time, and received a long groan as the girl slowly awoke.

Ruffnut sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and stretching.  
"Great nap," She muttered, then her eyes alighted on Hiccup. "How'd you get here? I thought you were fixing Toothless's tail?"

"I was. When I finished, he and you were both gone, so I came to find you. I can't do anything without you now."

"I'll probably just mess things up again..." She scowled moodily.

"Doesn't matter. I still need you. We need to plan how we're getting Tuffnut back."

"Help! _Help!_" Tuffnut skittered across the floor, Nadder and Nightmare in close pursuit. Picking up some rocks, he tossed them over his shoulders, but it only made things worse. Two Zippleback heads loomed out of the darkness towards him. Hitting the ground, he slid underneath the dragon's body and scrambled to his feet on the other side, only to hit the wall. Recovering, Tuffnut turned in the opposite direction, hurling rocks here and there in desperation. They had to get to him soon.

"So what you're saying is... You distract them while I get him out?"

Out in the daylight again, Toothless tacked and ready to ride, the two teens stood, regarding the dirt drawings with interest.  
"Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"So why didn't you say that in the first place? All I have to do is run in there and unlock the door." Ruffnut adjusted her helmet with a scowl.  
"Well, because you've got to be careful of the guards."

"Right, got it!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Wait... maybe. Can we go over the last bit again?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and moved over to Toothless. "Come on, we can't wait any longer. I'll explain anything else on the way."

_Finally, they're gonna get Tuffnut out! It's about time! Don't forget to R+R, I love feedback._


	8. Freedom and Capture

_Well, it appears that I can use the internet in France! Yes, I'm speaking lots of French and apparently eating a lot too! Best holiday ever? _

_Replies to Reviews:_

_PuckSabrinaDaphne: Thanks! I do enjoy twin powers!_

_Thyla1701: Oh dear, please don't explode! I'm writing as fast as I can! Thank you!_

_Anyway, on with the story, don't forget to R+R!_

Toothless swept down from the mountain-top, his wings wide, scooping the air underneath them. Ruffnut sat, clinging to Hiccup, peering off the sides of the dragon at the ground far, far below them. Hiccup, on the other hand, was staring straight ahead, feeling rather awkward with the girls arms around his stomach. He didn't mind with Astrid, but, being Ruffnut, all he could smell was the fish-oil in her hair, and although Toothless might like it, it was beginning to make him feel a little queasy.

"Think you can speed it up a bit, bud? This isn't really that pleasant," He asked the dragon, who replied with a throaty growl and beat his wings a little harder.

"Are we there yet?" Ruffnut shouted to him.

"I wish!" The boy called back, wrinkling his nose and trying to breath through his mouth. "Wait... I see it! Get ready, Ruff!"

There it was; the entrance. It was cut straight into the rock of the mountain itself, it's edges jagged and dangerous. Rocks lay all around it, strewn it great piles from the excavations. Inside was pitch black. They could see nothing. All preconceptions of feeling ill were extinguished immediately as the excitement set in. Ruffnut grinned over Hiccup's shoulder as the entrance to Alvin's dungeons loomed ever closer. Toothless slowed to a hover, preparing to land, but he didn't have a chance before the Viking girl had leapt off his back and landed in a crouch in the dark entrance.

"Go, Hiccup! I'll see you soon!" She shouted.

"Don't forget, the nesting grounds!" Came Hiccup's final call as the dragon turned on his wing-tips and, with a flash, was gone. Ruffnut turned back and ran inside, hiding in a crevice and awaiting the first explosion.

When it came, a grin came to her face like an exited child in a game of hide-and-go-kill. Guards were pouring out of the entrance, ready to help with the attack on the rouge dragon. Plasma blasts rang out around her, shaking the ground. The guards were gone. It was time. She poked her head out of her hiding place, and then, with the coast clear, she galloped down the walkway at top speed. Somehow, she managed not to trip over her feet. Suddenly, she heard a scream coming from the end of the dungeons. She knew instantly who had made the sound: her brother.

It was pitch black around her. There was a sound behind her. She stopped, whirling around. Two Outcasts had remained behind. She glanced between them as they advanced, then ran towards them, yelling her Viking war-cry. They looked at one another, a fatal mistake as she grabbed ones shield and shoved it into his face. He fell back, bewildered, and she grabbed his axe, spinning around and meeting the other outcast's weapon as it came flashing towards her.

She threw off his attack and brought the axes together again and again. Somehow, she was pushing him back. Her ferocity surprised the large man, who kicked out at her, knocking her down. His axe was at her throat. Fearlessly, she brought her heel to his knee with a satisfying crunch. As he staggered back, she swung her axe, hitting him with the flat of it and knocking him out cold. Almost as though she could sense it, she swung around, tossing the weapon and knocking down the first soldier easily. He didn't get up.

Triumphant, she stepped back, surveying the cave. There was only one gate that was locked. Lifting off her helmet, she slid the long horn into the lock and smiled at the click that signalled it was clear to enter. The door swung open, and she fell back as three dragons came galloping out. There, in the centre of the dungeon lay her brother, smoking slightly and looking more than a little worse for wear. He caught sight of her and came running out to meet her.

"Ruffnut! Sis!" He cried, tackling her to the ground in a great bear hug. The twins laughed at one another and began to play-fight, arms and legs in a tangle. Ruffnut grabbed her brother by the cheeks and tossed him aside, which he countered by grabbing her braid and pulling.

"Ow! Gerrof!" She snarled, sitting up. They looked at each other, snorted, and continued howling in mirth.

"You shoulda seen your face, Sis!" Tuffnut chuckled, pointing a finger at her. "You were so surprised when I came out!"

"Not as good as yours when the doors opened!" She countered. "It was all like this!" She demonstrated a very ugly face, her mouth wide open.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Look, are we getting out or not?" The brother snorted, getting up. His sister looked at him, her eyes wide as she too got to her feet. "What's that look for?" He asked.

"Look, Tuff... I'm sorry for leaving you behind, okay? I know we coulda taken them but... I guess I just panicked, and..."

"Don't sweat it," Her brother smiled, brushing off her apology. He smacked her in the shoulder, smirking, and turned to walk off down the tunnel.

"Yeah, yeah, I deserved that," His sister mumbled as she trotted along behind.

Toothless twisted sharply in the air, avoiding the catapult shots and cross-bow bolts that knifed through the air towards them. The Night Fury blasted as many as he could, twirling and diving. His rider clung to his neck-strap, lying flat against the dragon's body and twisting the tail-control furiously with his foot. They turned back again and came back for another pass, firing another two blasts and knocking out the catapults. However, the cross-bows carried on firing.

"Toothless, we need to get out of here! Let's go, bud!" Hiccup cried, yanking the strap. They dragon turned and soared as fast as he could away from the soldiers.

Tuffnut and Ruffnut reached the entrance to the dungeons. The sister grabbed the back of her brother's jerking as he tried to walk out into the broad daylight without checking for possible assailants.

"Oi! Don't be stupid!" Ruffnut growled, glancing outside. "It's okay, the coast is clear."

The twins walked out into the daylight, scrambling over the rocks that lay at the entrance. Ruffnut signalled to her brother to follow her. Together, they clambered up the cliff-side and headed towards the nesting grounds.  
"Something doesn't feel right..." Tuffnut muttered, looking around. There were no explosions. No sounds of battle. Not even the birds sang. Everything was silent.

"Stop right there!" Came a cry, shattering the atmosphere. They could see Savage and Alvin behind them, not far back. Weapons were trained on them.  
"Oh man..." The brother breathed.  
"Don't trip up this time!" Ruff shouted, before grabbing his arm and leaping down onto the path below them.

Twisting. Turning. Bolting away. Running for their lives. The twins dashed this way and that, trying to throw off their pursuers, but the Outcasts were too fast. Guards ahead. Crossbows behind. They were trapped. Savage stood before them. Both teens skidded to a halt and looked at one another.  
"Up there!" Ruffnut yelled, turning and jumping up onto a ledge above them. Her brother quickly followed, and they were away again, running as fast as they could. The ground was rocky and flat, perfect for making a quick getaway. Their long legs carried them rapidly away.

_Twang!_

Pain, white hot and searing, tore through her lower back. She gasped and fell into the dirt, reaching back. The bolt was no longer there, but a great, weeping wound remained. She cried out. Her brother stopped, a few paces ahead.  
"Go, Tuffnut!" Ruffnut cried. "Get Hiccup!" The brother remained, torn. Did he stay or did he go? He couldn't think, couldn't breathe. His sister was down. No escape. Outcasts closing in. Frozen, he looked on in horror as she gave a groan and turned over to face her opponents. She looked back, furious.  
"I said _go!_"

_Will he stay or will he go? That is the question! Leave your answer in the reviews, or just R+R! Thanks!_


	9. Alvin the Treacherous

_Okay, the last chapter was so fun to write. I adored the fight scenes: so edgy! Anyway, enough. Here comes chapter 9!_

"Go and get Hiccup, you idiot!" Ruffnut roared, shuffling backwards in the dirt as Alvin the Treacherous advanced upon her. It was no use. He grabbed her by the front of her shirt and lifted her up to his eye level.  
"Though' you could ge' away, eh? No one, and I mean _no-one _gets away from Alvin the Treacherous!" The great man roared. Ruffnut struggled, grunting helplessly. She looked over her shoulder. Tuffnut was still there.

"Oh dear, did I scare your li'l brother?" The leader of the Outcasts sneered.  
"You moron, get out of here!" Ruffnut wailed.

Tuffnut stood his ground, scowling viciously. "No. Let her go, Alvin, or I'll-"

"You'll what?" He snarled. Tuffnut screwed up his face, thinking hard.

"I'll... I'll... uh... Hang on, I'll get back to you..."

"Pathetic!" Alvin boomed, tossing Ruffnut away. "Cuff 'em. I want to speak with 'em both. And don't mess it up this time!"

Tuffnut looked around. There were soldiers coming at him from all sides. He picked up a stick from the ground and held it out as the first one came at him. Swinging the stick like a sword, he deflected a few blows until, with a sharp _crack, _the wood broke in two. Tuffnut stared at it in surprise. The man's axe came smashing into his head, and he fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

The last thing he heard was his sister's scream of rage before the blackness consumed him.

Toothless swept over the nesting grounds. His wide eyes searched the ground intelligently, looking for the two teens who should have met them there. He'd done all he could to distract the bad-men, but he could now see that it wasn't enough. His friends hadn't arrived. He let out a long shriek, calling for their two-headed dragon. When no reply came, he felt his rider shift uncomfortably in the saddle, and then he felt his tail change position. They were going down.

"_Unngh..._" The darkness was slowly receding from Tuffnut's mind. He lifted his hand to rub his thudding forehead, opening his eyes slowly. The light hurt his head. He looked around. Next to him lay his sister, who was glaring at him moodily, and a few paces away stood the leader of the Outcasts. Around him, he could see a barrier of guards. Escape was impossible.  
"Enjoyed your lil' beau'y nap, dragon rider?" Alvin sneered. "Don' worry, you'll probably need i'. Now, I know tha' Hiccup and 'is dragon are 'ere. Where are they 'iding? Where are you mee'ing them?"

"I won't tell," Ruffnut growled simply, wincing and fighting against her handcuffs. Tuffnut quickly cottoned on.

"No, I won't either."

"Is that so?" Alvin scowled. "Maybe you need some... encouragement?"

His hand shot out and snatched Ruffnut's braid, lifting her off the ground.  
"Hey! Put me down!" She snarled, kicking out, but her legs couldn't quite reach. She tried to ignore the stabs of pain coming from the cut on her back. Tuffnut sat up, eyes wide. Suddenly, this was getting interesting.

"Now, what should I do with you to get you t' talk?" The Outcast smirked. Ruffnut's helmet slipped down over her eyes. Tuffnut's hand shot up into the air.

"Ooh, ooh, Alvin! Pick me!" He cried. Alvin regarded him with disdain. "Cut her hair off, Alvin! Or, better, pull her arms off! Or you could tie her up and shoot her with crossbows while dropping her off the back of a dragon over a boiling volcano-"  
"Can someone _please_ shut 'im up?" Growled the leader. Ruffnut shot him a murderous look.  
"I was thinking the same thing..." She muttered. Tuffnut looked disappointed.

"Well, Ruffnut, is it?" Alvin growled. "I think you'll find your brother isn't far off. Unless you tell me wha' I want t' know, I'll do things t' you tha' are even worse than those. Trust me, you'll wish you'd never been born!" The Outcasts, along with their leader, erupted in treacherous laughter.

Toothless sniffed at the ground. There was no sign of his friends anywhere. He looked at Hiccup for guidance, though his rider looked as lost as he did. Toothless threw back his head and let out another screeching roar, calling for the Zippleback. Finally, he heard something in return, and, when he looked, he could see them, far in the distance, coming his way. He roared again, his tail sweeping the floor in excitement, his ears standing up on end. The two-headed dragon came closer and closer, finally landing in front of him and growling tamely. Hiccup lifted a hand to each head, stroking their noses softly.

"Where are they...?" he whispered.

"Ow! Stop it!" Ruffnut yelped, kicking out. Alvin held her firmly, twisting her arm behind her painfully. She cried out again, struggling against it. His rough arms brushed her wound. Her brother watched on, transfixed. Even if he had wanted to help her, he wouldn't have been able to. He was held fast and forced to watch by Savage.  
Ruffnut's mind was working overtime. What should she do? She was really, truly thinking this time. She knew she had to think hard. She couldn't just mess it up like before. This time, there was no Hiccup to clear up her mess and her brother was in trouble too. However, it wasn't as though he was acting like it. Her arm was twisted further, sending sharp stabs of pain through her body. She cried out desperately.

"Stop! Stop! I'll tell you, just stop!"

Tuffnut stared at his sister. This wasn't right. He'd done that to her loads of times before, and she'd never cracked like that. He gave her a questioning look as she glanced his way, but she blocked it out, staring the opposite way, guilt written over her features.

"The nesting grounds. We're meeting him there."

"You 'eard 'er! Get your weapons ready! We're going t' the nesting grounds!"

Ruffnut kept her head down as they trudged down the narrow pass. She stared at the black dirt as though it was the most interesting thing in the world. It was certainly less heart-breaking than meeting the eyes of her brother. He wore a permanent scowl, the anger in his eyes burning her every time she looked at him. He couldn't believe she'd told. She'd let him down. She'd let them all down. He glared at the back of his sister's head as she walked on in silence.

Finally, Ruffnut looked up at met her brother's gaze. His look said _why? Why would you tell?_ While hers said _I'm sorry. What else could I do? _Defensively, she held that cruel gaze, daring him to look away. They glared hatefully at one another until Ruffnut tripped up and was sent crashing to the ground.  
"Get her up!" Alvin roared from the front. "We don't have time to rest!"

Toothless could smell something bad, coming closer. He lifted his nose to the air, breathing the scent deeply into his lungs. There were perhaps 12 Outcast soldiers, Alvin and Savage, and then... He breathed in again, unsure whether his nose was tricking him. Could it be... His friends? He became agitated, crooning stressfully and pawing the ground, padding restlessly around his little group.  
"Toothless? What is it, bud?" Hiccup reached out to touch the dragon's soft nose, but the Night Fury snorted and shied away. He hummed discontentedly, looking into the distance, his body tense.

Hiccup could see it now. There was a line of soldiers coming their way, headed by Alvin the Treacherous himself. Hiccup turned around to the two dragons rapidly, waving his arms.

"Go! Go! Get out of here!" He cried. The Zippleback didn't need telling twice, but Toothless was less eager, staying behind and growling anxiously. "You too, Toothless. I don't want to give Alvin any reason to attack."

Finally, the dragon was about to leave when, with a jolt, he whirled around again, howling. Alvin stood before them, a dozen soldiers flanking him. He looked tall, imposing, and angry, his thick eyebrows almost meeting in his frown.  
"Hiccup!" He cried in mock surprise. "And Toothless the dragon! Wha' brings you t' Outcast Island?"

"What are you up to, Alvin? Why all the soldiers? The ships?"

"Oh, so you've seen? Well, it's funny, actually. I knew Berk was spyin' on me, so I though', if I do somethin' suspicious, I could bring you and your Nigh' Fury 'ere and 'ave a li'l _chat_. So, what d' ya say? Ready t' talk?"

"I'm not talking to you, Alvin. I'm leaving."

"Really? Then why 'aven't you left yet? Is it because of _this_?"

Savage shoved his way through the line of Outcasts, Ruffnut and Tuffnut clasped in his hands. He tossed them down onto the floor at Hiccup's feet. The chief's son looked down at them, scowling, then met Alvin's accusatory gaze.

"Well?" The huge man snarled. "Let's talk!"

_Wow, that's quite a long chapter! Sorry about that, but it gets it's point across. I'm glad I got this done, so I can move on to the next chapter, which has loads more action, I assure you! Until next time, Dissidia180 Out!_


	10. Escape

_Here we are, chapter 10! I'm not yet sure whether I will add another chapter or whether I will be able to finish it here, so we shall have to wait and see! Also, I'd love some people's inputs on what they'd like to see in a story, so review or PM me and let me know what you want to see. (Just bear in mind that I don't do shipping stories, sorry!)_

_Review replies:_

_Hiccupisnotuseless: Lovely to hear from you again! I'm glad you're enjoying it and I shall write as fast as life will allow me!_

_Guest: You can probably see that I love the twins too! _

_After this story, there will be another one featuring mainly Snotlout and the twins, though the rest may come in at certain points. So stay tuned!_

Toothless let out a vicious growl as Alvin stepped closer to his boy. Hiccup stood his ground, looking strong despite his size. The two glared hatefully at each other.  
"Well? Speak up, boy, I can't 'ear you!"

"What is there to say? If you weren't trying to conquer Berk, we wouldn't need to patrol around your island. That's the only reason, Alvin. We need to be prepared."

"Prepared? Preposterous! A real Viking doesn' need t' be prepared! 'e's always ready!"

"Well, so what? We're stronger if we know what's going on."  
"I don' ever spy on Berk."

"You don't need to, Alvin, we never attack you! And besides, I can think of three separate occasions when-"

_Smack! _Alvin and Hiccup looked down. Between them, the twins had managed to get one another in a head lock and were fighting savagely, scuffling on the ground. Tuffnut pinned his sister down, his arm pressed down against her sternum, and growled into her face.

"Why did you tell him? Why? Look at the mess you've gotten us into, sis! You're so stupid, I can't believe I'm related to you!"  
"You can't believe me? I can't believe you! You stupid, arrogant pig-face! You're worse than Snotlout! Now let me go!"  
"No!" Tuffnut bared his teeth. "Not until you apologise!"

His sister regarded him with a hurt look. She stopped struggling and looked away from him, trying to hide her feelings under a mask of annoyance.

"Okay. I'm sorry. Happy now?" She muttered.

"No, I'm not happy." He finally released her. "Why did you tell, Ruffnut?"

His sister was silent, biting her tongue and staring at the ground. It only served to feed her brother's temper as he glared at her more and more intensely.

"Okay... are you two finished?" Hiccup attempted to break the tension. Tuffnut shot a flaming look at his leader, before preparing to launch another attack on his sister. He was stopped as they were both snatched by the Outcast soldiers and held back.

"If you recall, we were talkin'!" Alvin raged, looming before Hiccup once again. "Your li'l pets are more trouble than they're worth. I'm in my right mind t' kill 'em right 'ere!"

Hiccup recoiled. "Th-that won't be necessary, Alvin. You wanted to talk, well, talk to me. What is it you want to say?"

"I don' want your petty li'l dragon club flyin' 'round my island."

"Okay, well, we won't,"

"I 'aven't finished ye'. If I see another dragon, I will kill 'em, and their rider, and mount their 'eads on poles at my dockyards. Do you understand?" Alvin put his hands on his hips and thrust his shoulders back, an impressive and intimidating sight to behold. Hiccup knew that he had to protect his fellow riders, but there was also all of Berk to think of. They needed to know what they were up against if they were going to fight the Outcasts. He bit his lip.

"Well? Do you?" Alvin pressed, leaning forwards with his teeth bared. Hiccup looked him straight in the eyes.

"You won't see another dragon near your island, Alvin. I give you my word."

"Good!" The leader of the Outcasts boomed, giving a short laugh. "Aw'right, dragon rider, you're free t' go. Fly back t' Berk and tell your father wha' I said."

Hiccup stood still, looking behind Alvin at where the twins were still restrained. "Are you not letting those two come with me?"

"Nonsense. These two are gonna be my first ornaments! Get flyin', or I'll add you t' my collection, boy!"

Ruff and Tuff were in danger now. He had to do something, and fast, or he'd lose two valuable members of the academy. Two guards dropped Tuffnut in front of Alvin, who slowly unsheathed his longsword and held it out above him. Tuffnut yelped in surprise. Hiccup looked to his sister, who was desperately searching the skies. She then looked fearfully at her brother. Their eyes met. Tuffnut glared at her, still hateful and angry. Ruff turned her face away, eyes clenched shut. Then, all of a sudden, she threw back her head.

"_Barf! Belch! Help!_"

The Outcasts looked up in surprise as, all of a sudden, a huge Zippleback came tumbling from the sky, both heads roaring deeply. It landed with a smack on the ground before then, both heads whirling wildly, knocking the Outcasts away from their riders. Barf and Belch snapped their teeth at Alvin, who swung his sword. Both heads lifted out of the way, one snatching his wrist, the other breathing out a small amount of gas. With a protective growl, Belch lit the green cloud, sending Alvin flying backwards into a smoking pile of his men.

The dragon whirled around, making a living barrier between its riders and the men. Tuffnut leapt onto Belch's neck, legs wrapped around the saddle carefully.

"Lets go!" He cried, and Belch thrust forward, only to be jolted back. Barf's head was low as Ruffnut heaved herself into the saddle. Her back was bleeding and her muscles were ceasing from all the running she'd done that day. Barf helped her by tipping his neck up, before the twins exchanged glances and their dragon leapt into the air.

"Crossbows!" Came a shout from behind then. They could hear the weapons being cocked.  
"Lets light this place up!" Ruffnut called to her brother, who nodded approvingly. The Zippleback banked sharply and came whizzing back down upon the outcast soldiers, Barfs mouth wide open, leaving a trail of sickly green gas in front of the archers. Tuffnut briefly noticed Toothless lifting off the ground behind them as he gave Belch's horns a tug and the dragon sparked the gas. The huge explosion ripped through the air, deafeningly loud, and the twins threw their hands in the air and cried out with joy as their dragon took them swiftly away.

Toothless quickly joined Barf and Belch, and together, the riders and their dragons flew a course straight back towards Berk. Hiccup looked across at the twins, smiling broadly. It hadn't taken him long to work out why Ruffnut had told Alvin where they were meeting.

"You weren't scared, were you?" He called across to her. As one, the two looked over at him. Ruffnut gazed at him, a genuine smile finally plastered across her features.  
"No, I wasn't. For once in my life, Hiccup, I was actually thinking."

"Pah!" Her brother scoffed. "When does that ever happen?"

"Back there, idiot. You wanna know why I told?" She shot him a cruel look.

"Well, obviously!"

"I told because I knew that if we could just get to Barf and Belch, we'd be safe. We couldn't take those soldiers on alone, but with Barf and Belch, they were no match for us. Duh!"

Her brother stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Huh..." he muttered. "That does make sense... Okay, maybe I'm not mad at you any more. Maybe"

_I hope that didn't end too quickly for you. It does seem slightly abrupt to me, but then again, this story has been dragging along, with every chapter ending in something bad, so I thought it was about time something good finally happened! If you find any plot holes (except from any wounds, I'm covering that next), please do PM me, there's one more chapter to go!_


	11. Epologue

_Okay, this is it! The last chapter for Losing Your Nut! But don't worry, there will be another story starting shortly, which promises more twin feels, more stupidity and more action! The main focus will again be on the twins because seriously, nobody writes the twins any more unless they're shipping. Sometimes, you need a break from shipping and get back to the characters. So yeah, that's what I'm here for. Rant over!_

_Review replies:_

_Sazza-joe: Oh no, don't be sad! There's more coming, I promise! And anyway, all good things have to end sometime, or they get boring and long. _

"Dad..." Hiccup pushed the door open, illuminating the darkness inside his home. His father, the chief of the tribe, looked up at his son, his eyes sparkling.

"Son! You're back!" Stoick the Vast erupted, knocking his stool over as he rose from the table. "How did it go? Did you find out what Alvin's up to?"

His face fell as he met his son's eyes. Hiccup could only look away to the ground, where he could hide from the disappointment.

"Well... Yeah, I guess..."

Stoick approached his son carefully, a worried look passing over his features. The boy didn't want to say anything because he didn't want to disappoint the chief, or his father; that was for certain. Hiccup closed up, as though trying to hide from the man who stood over him, the man who reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Hiccup. You can tell me what happened. I won't be angry."

"No, I'm pretty sure you will be." Hiccup defended himself with sarcasm. Then, he gave way and sighed. "Alvin knew we were spying on him. He knew we were watching his every move. What Fishlegs saw him doing last time... it was a trap. He lured us there to get his message across."

"A message? What did he say?"

"If he sees another dragon flying a mission over his island, he will kill it, and its rider, and mount their heads on spikes at his dockyards. That's exactly what he said."

Stoick stood up, a thoughtful hand on his chin. "And what did you say?"

"I... I don't know, probably something stupid" The teen muttered.

"So, you don't remember?"

"No, I do... I said he wouldn't see another dragon. I gave him my word." He sighed again. "Oh, dad, what are we going to do? If Berk can't protect itself..."

"Hiccup."

"I mean, we need to know if he's going to attack so we can defend ourselves..."

"Son..."

"I can't believe I was so stupid, I should have said something, I'm not the chief of the tribe..."

"Hiccup!"

The boys head whipped around. He looked his father straight in the eyes. The chief smiled gently.

"You did the right thing, son. Just because Alvin won't _see_ another dragon, doesn't mean there won't _be _another dragon."

The door swung open, and Hiccup stepped out into the light, feeling his spirits lifting. His father wasn't angry, after all. Nobody had been killed. They were all home safe. He looked down at the twins, who were perched on the step below him, peering up at him. He noticed, with a pang of guilt, the dark ring around one of Tuffnut's eyes, and the black-and-blue bruises peppering his body. He knew for a fact that under his shirt, he was hiding a bruised rib. Then, there was Ruffnut, her shoulder and stomach tightly bound with swathes of bandages. A part of him couldn't help but feel responsible, although really, it wasn't his fault. The twins could get themselves into trouble anywhere, and always did. They looked up at him, bright eyed and smiling, and he gave a slight grin in return, heading towards them.

"So, what did Stoick say?" Tuffnut asked, rising as Hiccup passed him and walking shoulder to shoulder with his friend.  
"Well, I think we'll still be flying missions over Outcast island. But until my dad comes up with a plan, I'm not going to do anything."

"Okay, so are we training today or not?" Ruffnut piped up from behind him.

"Actually, you two need to rest." He span around to face her and her brother. "Your injuries aren't going to heal themselves, guys. You need to take it easy for a couple of days. Especially you, Ruffnut. If you open up that wound in your back again, you'll have to go back to Gothi and have it stitched up again."

The sister shivered. "Ew. Not happening."

"Exactly. So can you two at least _try_ to stay out of trouble for a few days?"

The twins regarded him, then, very slowly, they both nodded their heads.

_It's finished! All of my hard work has come to this! So please, R+R, I really love to get feedback and also constructive criticism where it's due. Just no flames, please! I do realise that there are certain linguistic mistakes in earlier chapters, but as a result of them, I have been proof reading the last ones thoroughly, so hopefully they will be free of that sort of thing. Also, don't forget to stay tuned for more twins madness in my next fic, which will be called something along the lines of "Burial Chamber" or "Ghostly Happenings" (That might give you a clue as to the content)_

_How To Train Your Dragon and all characters are copyright of Dreamworks animation and Ms Cessida Cowell_

_That is all. Goodbye for now!_

_Dissidia180 out._


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